Christian And Muslim Iranians Brawl In German Migrant Centre

Three people needed hospital treatment after a fight between Christian and Muslim migrants at a German asylum centre on Friday.

Around 15 migrants were involved in the brawl at the centre in Bad Fallingbostel, which started when “heavily intoxicated” residents started arguing, Presseportalsays. Both sides are believed to be of Iranian origin.

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Over 10,000 Iranians sought refuge in the European Union in 2014, according to figures from European statistics agency Eurostat. In the first quarter of this year, a further 2,260 sought refugee status.

It took a total of 12 police officers to calm the situation, although no arrests were made. On migrant required hospital treatment for an injured hand.

Police were also called to another brawl near the town of Siegen this weekend, where they had to break up a fight involving some 30 migrants. Three people were taken to hospital, with police making two arrests.

The cause of the fight remains unknown, but Siegener Zeitungreports that it started as food was distributed at the local migrant camp.

This weekend, thousands of demonstrators took the streets of Berlin demanding the resignation of Chancellor Angela Merkel and radical action to curb the migrant influx.

The protest was called by the anti-mass migrant Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) party, which has seen a surge in popularity as the migrant crisis has deepened.

Beatrix von Storch, a member of the European Parliament for the party, told the crowd that Mrs Merkel had caused “asylum chaos” in Germany and joined protesters in holding up a red card, symbolising their desire to dismiss the Chancellor.

Numerous violent incidents have taken place in asylum centres across Germany in the past few months. One centre in the town of Suhl has been particularly troubled, with sectarian violence in August followed by reports of a four-year-old boy being beaten after he interrupted a football game in October.

The child suffered “massive bruising” after he kicked the ball during a game at the migrant centre, provoking the wrath of an adult migrant who beat him several times around the head and then threw a rock at him.

The boy was taken to hospital with severe head injured. Police decline to identify the attacker.